My Finds For The Day

[Cruzn620]

Slow day at work today, so I dedicated it to research. I have mentioned before that I am going to drop a KA24DE into my datsun (eventually) and I was wanting to turbo it. My goals are 300-350whp at about 15 pounds of boost. This whole time I have been tossing around ideas in my head of what it is going to take to build such a motor and make it daily drive reliable (though the truck will only be driven to cruise in's, car shows, ect.) This whole time I thought it would take engineering genius and a load of cash to hit those goals, and after looking around, man, guys are pretty much scoffing at those numbers in the 240sx world! The horse goals I am looking for is considered the "average" build! The powers to be on certain forums said that you can do that on a stock block, but there is no way i'm going to do that. I am most relieved that I wont need to bore or stroke (or both) my block to find the ponies! Today I pretty much wrote down their recipe for building the motor that I want and now all I have left to do is dream and build everything...hahahahaha. I think all of the info I got today really speaks volumes for Nissan's engineers who built a motor that can withstand twice its stock horsepower rating. Now if i can just get my L series motor running right....yes...I have a lot to learn!

[kiznook]

The KA is an excellent motor. Sadly most of the 240 guys are SRd out, and they've even been sticking with the KA more and more. This is good that they've seen the light, but hurts the rest of us who would be more than happy to take their "truck motors" off their hands :)

 

I've always encouraged people to consider what they can get out of their KAs for the cost of a SR swap.

 

Since it sounds like you were planning on doing internal work anyway, I'd have to agree that 350whp (reliable) should be very realistic.

 

As for the L motor, get it running good, It's easy. Start with the old simple tractor motor, then work your way up to the KA. That and theres A LOT of crossover between L motor and KA basics (think timing) because under all the EFI and crossflow 12 valve-ness, its just a big L.

 

not to mention, if you can't master the L....

[Icehouse]

I 100% agree, 350hp with a well tune wouldn't be tuff at all to daily drive. I think most people forget that its only 350hp when the boost and rpm are achieved. The hp need to propel a 510 or 620 at 65mph has to be less than 40hp (My educated guess... 2.5 gpa in HS) With a low compression turbo motor there won't be any stress on the engine. I meet a dude at Drift Office who moved from Florida. He worked at an performance shop doing engine swaps. There shop car had a ka24det putting down 450 to the wheels with stock rods. We both agreed the biggest problem with the ka24de is the dual timing chains. They are kind of a bummer. As a side note he also like mega squirt :D

[datzenmike]

Ice, doesnt the E or the DE have oil squirters for keeping the pistons cool? Seems like Nissan wanted to turbo this motor from the start!

[Cruzn620]

The plus side is that my cousin is a 20 year experienced mechanic. he's worked on everything from his own harley davidson 50cc (yes, they exist and i have proof...two stoke too) and the county's weedeaters, to a caterpiller D-9. I started out on this L motor having only built my own two stroke race motors after a lot of trials and tribulations he (and you guys too for sure!!) has taught me how to diagnose a lot of the problems i am having, helped me rebuild that pitiful hitachi carb, and pretty much just tells me "you can do it" when i am ready to give up. The L motor is suffering right now from a manifold leak (will repair saturday) and then it SHOULD be running right. so anyway, onto the KA. I am trying to build this truck into a show winner. i have built 2 s-10s so far that are just kind of your every day custom, but i want to go all out, so everything i do, i'm going to try to do top notch. a custom vehicle is only as nice as its crappiest looking part! but i figured i wanted a "new" motor, so start from scratch and build it right, leave nothing to chance. Right now i'm looking at crower rods, J&E pistons (i guess 9:1 though that seemed bit high to me...) ARP fasteners, and man, PDM makes an incredible (and expensive) set of cams for the KA motor, though i will probably settle for something cheaper from crower or jim wolf. I'm eyeing a better oil pump right now for it, but i haven't found much info on it, so i'm guessing most guys are happy with the stock oiling system. for adjustability i am leaning towards adjustable cam gears and also i'll make sure the head gets a pretty good polish job. I just don't like the idea of putting 15 pounds of pressure through a motor i haven't taken apart. I do think though that my drafting profession has made me a bit OCD about the design of things, but that's not a bad flaw to have when building a vehicle IMO. I have however had to throw out any time table i ever had for my truck because i can spend a week thinking about to make a simple L shaped bracket

[tnip]

i have the same issue about bein ocd about designing something. i dont think i'd have an issue with an l bracket. but i do tend to want to "over engineer" every little thing. i think it's because i seriously want to still be driving my 1971 521 in 20 years.